Equinox
by Little Miss Illusional
Summary: You know that place inside you, where pain and suffering are just words to your broken heart? It's where you'll retreat when you see that there's no point living in an empty shell. And he's not coming back. see the sequel - solstice!
1. Dead of the Night

**Equinox**

_**You know that place inside you, where pain and suffering are just words to your broken heart? It's where you'll retreat when you see that there's no point living in an empty shell. And he's not coming back.**_

**Readers!**

**I'm back, once more. Yay. More twilight stories coming your way, this time with a slightly more unusual pairing. I've decided to test myself with trying out story idea/pairing that are very much unused, and happens to be one that I absolutely adore.**

**Haha, you will have to wait and see….**

**Anyway, no real grand plans for this story, we'll just see how it goes. **

**This story starts in New Moon, at the start of Chapter 12: Intruder. It will probably follow the New Moon story structure and most characters will appear. All is from Bella's eyes. **

**Enjoy =)**

**Disclaimers: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyer does. And, might I add, if I did own twilight, I CLAIM JASPER!! **

Chapter One: Dead of the Night

I woke up instantly, unsure of what had woken me up. It was still dark, the quiet of the night.

I checked my watch. 2 am.

I groaned and lay back down. I wouldn't get to sleep, not now. Inside me, deep down, all the emotion I had been bottling up was about to erupt.

_Jacob_. My safe harbour.

How could he do that, to me? Was it so wrong for me not to like him like he wanted me to? Couldn't we just be friends, or was that never enough for boys?

Then the tears started. It _wasn't_ Jacob's fault. I couldn't blame a friend like him. It was Sam. He was the problem, not Jacob.

Was it drugs? _No, not that, never_. The Jacob I knew would never be involved with that sort of stuff.

But… there was the nagging feeling. The Jacob I saw today – the Jacob that was suddenly so angry – that wasn't my Jacob.

Something scratched across my window, a high-pitched, nails-across-the-blackboard sound.

I shuddered, and it had nothing to do with the temperature.

I stumbled across the room to the window, lead by some instinct I had no control over.

A huge, dark shape hung over the glass, hands scratching at the window. I stepped back, terrified. This had to be another nightmare, I was sure. I couldn't scream.

Victoria? She'd finally come for me, to take her revenge for James. Only now, the Cullens weren't here to protect me. I was alone, defenceless.

I would die tonight.

And Charlie! My stomach backflipped. Not Charlie. I bit back a scream. No matter how much Victoria hurt me, I would stay quiet, so Charlie would have no reason to investigate. He didn't deserve my fate.

The lock on the window clicked, and the window started to slid upwards.

A figure stepped through, landing silently on the wooden floorboards. They stood up, easily way taller than me. They stalked toward me, quiet as ever. My breath was coming out raggedly, and my heart beat crazily. This was it. This would be how I died. I'd be one of those tragic headlines, a thrilling murder mystery.

I reached behind me, looking for something to protect myself with, even though resistance would be futile.

My hands hit the wall, and I backed up against it. No where to go now. I hoped it would be over swiftly. I knew there would be no point begging.

The figure paused by the lampshade. What was she waiting for? Dragging out my terror, no doubt. That was Victoria. My death would not be pleasant.

The light clicked on. The figure, now easy to see, smiled at me.

"Remember me?"

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**Watcha think?**

**Next chapter up soon, maybe…**

**If you don't already know, deadlines mean nothing to me. Chapters will be added when I feel like it. (hint: reviews = me happy. Me happy = better writing mood. Better writing mood = finished chapters. Finished chapters = YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!)**

**Thanks,**

**Little Miss Illusional**

**Ps. Reviews are golden =) **


	2. My Jacob

**Chapter two is up! yay!**

**Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed in such a short amount of time. I'm stoked at all the reviews that I had waiting for me. **

**I apologize for rewriting the story a bit here. Trust me, the changes are coming soon. Bear with me =)**

**Songs I listened to when writing this (these are some awesome songs, gotta love the inspirations!): **

**The Last Day On Earth – Kate Miller-Heidke**

**Leave Out All The Rest – Linkin Park **

**Cold As You – Taylor Swift**

**Running – Evermore**

**Crushcrushcrush - Paramore**

**The Truth- Good Charlotte**

**Anyway, Enjoy!!**

**Disclaimers: I do not own Twilight, but I wish I did…**

Chapter Two: My Jacob

I gasped. "Jacob! You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

He laughed. "Sorry about that."

And like that, it was as if it was my Jacob was back.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I thought you didn't want to be friends any more."

He lowered his gaze. "What I meant was, we shouldn't be friends, not that I don't want to be."

A sudden burst of déjà vu hit me. That was an Edw- _him_ line. I couldn't think his name.

"Get out." I whispered. "I don't want to talk."

He pouted playfully. "But I came all this way…"

I crossed my arms. "Fine. I don't want to talk to _you_."

His face fell. "I guess that was called for, 'specially after before."

"No kidding Jacob."

He sat on the edge of my bed. I remained standing against the wall.

"Bells… please? I'm sorry, isn't that enough?"

After today? Nice try buddy.

My glare answered his pleading question.

I had to hand it to him. I mean, Sam's brainwashing had actually made him a better actor. Or, for some bizarre reason, he was sincere.

Yeah. Right.

I took a deep breath. "Then what are you doing here? Are you going to tell me what's behind this whole Sam thing?"

Jacob sighed. "Sort of… kind of…"

He stepped closer. "I can't tell you, Bella. But, if you were to guess…"

I scowled. "So we're playing guessing games now?"

"It's not a game." He said in a low tone, dead serious.

His hands moved to cup my face, so I was staring directly into his chocolate eyes. His hands felt like they were on fire. I hoped he wasn't coming down with something – it would be one hell of a flu, judging from the heat he was giving off.

"Remember the time when you and your friends were at the beach and you saw me?"

I nodded.

His face was closer now, his eyes wild. "Remember the stories I told you? About our legends?"

I nodded again, unsure of where this was going.

He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by howls in the distance. I shivered. The forest around the peninsula was riddled with wolves, but it was rare to hear them this close.

He shook his head. "Concentrate Bells. Please."

I cast my mind back. "You told me scary stories… about your legends…"

Jacob's sweet breath was clogging up my nose. I couldn't concentrate. Why was this so important?

"Do you remember the one you liked?" He asked chokingly. "The one about-" He didn't finish the sentence.

"About… vampires?" He nodded. For some reason, he did not seem to be capable of talking.

I shrugged. "Yeah." Truth was, I remembered every exact word from the story. It didn't lessen the pain though.

He nodded again. He still didn't – or couldn't – talk.

The howls started again, this time much closer. Jacob stared worriedly at the window.

"I have to go." He muttered. His hands fell off my face, brushing my shoulders. He moved to walk back to the window

"Jake – wait!" I said. "I'm sorry!"

He laughed – it wasn't his though. Something, the tone maybe, that was Sam's. This wasn't my Jacob. It was the new one again.

"Why are you sorry?" He asked. "You've done nothing."

"Don't go." I whispered. I even shocked myself with the surprising amount of fear in my voice.

He turned around. "Bella… just… think… about it…"

I shook my head. "No. I can't. You know why Jake."

He moaned. "I really have to go."

"Take me with you then." Charlie wouldn't know – I'd be home before dawn.

He laughed at that. "It's too dangerous for you Bella."

I frowned. "You mean… Sam's gang?"

"It's not a gang!" He said exasperatedly. But that was an answer enough for me.

The howls started up again. Jacob looked even more anxious than before. "Bells-"

"No, Jake!" Was all I could say. "I can't lose you… not again…"

He sighed. "I'm sorry Bella. But it has to be this way. Unless you can guess…"

He made his way over to the window. Was he crazy? Was he going to attempt to climb… or jump?!"

"Take the stairs, Jake." I said bluntly. "Don't break a leg."

He shrugged absentmindedly. "I won't get hurt… not now…" He muttered.

I didn't cry – not outside anyway. I'd already had tonight's cry-fest earlier.

I couldn't believe it. I'd lost Jacob, my best friend, over some stupid thing that was going on down at La Push, then he'd come back, and now I was about to lose him again. It wasn't fair. Jacob was my safe harbour. I couldn't lose him. I wouldn't lose him.

I ran across the room and grabbed his arm. "Don't leave, please, don't leave me Jake."

He brushed my arm off. "You're not losing me," he murmured. "If you guess."

And, with that, he jumped out the window.

I nearly screamed, biting back at the last second. Charlie would hear. I looked out the window. Jacob had gone. But that was impossible. That jump would have sprained his ankle, at the least.

I plodded back over to my bed, laying back down again. Suddenly, I was immensely tired, and cold. Jacob's body heat was over whelming.

I curled up, hugging myself. What Jacob said was completely nonsense. He knew how painful it was for me to bring back those memories of the life I'd had driven away from me. So why would he purposely bring it up again.

I propped myself up on one elbow, forcing myself to stay awake. Jacob, even the new, Sam-Jacob, wouldn't do that to me without good reason.

I sighed and rolled onto my back. I was too tired to think tonight.

_I was in the forest, again, like the dreams I always had. But this was different. I didn't look around for… him. _

_The forest too was different. It was lighter, less dense, like I was on the edge of the forest. Near the beach, perhaps. Was I at La Push?_

_And then, out of nowhere, Jacob appeared. It was my Jacob, I was sure of that. Gangly, awkward long-haired Jacob. _My Jacob_._

"_Bella," he whispered. "Bella, you have to run!"_

_The wave of hurt hit me. The déjà vu, those words, they hurt. _

_And then, dizzily, I recognised the forest. It was the same place I was in the dream on the night when I discovered Edward was a vampire. Jacob's words before must have dragged out past memories…_

_I waited now, longing to Edward. Shortly, he would appear, smiling, beautiful as I remembered. He would beckon me, purring, eyes black and dangerous. "Trust me," was all he would say._

_And my heart would burn for my loss…_

_But, then, before Edward could appear, something different happened. Jacob screamed and fell to the ground, shaking uncontrollably. _

"_Jacob!" I yelled, but he had already disappeared._

_In his place, towering over me, was a huge, red-brown wolf._

_This was not the dream from last time. It had changed, dramatically so. I knew instantly that this wolf was the one that had approached me so calmly in the woods barely a week ago._

_The wolf looked down at me, peering at me with its intelligent, chocolate eyes._

_Jacob's eyes._

I woke up, screaming into the pillow, a muffled sound.

Jacob's eyes. His chocolate eyes, on the wolf.

No, it couldn't be.

But it was.

_"Then there are the stories about the cold ones." His voice dropped a little lower._

_"The cold ones?"_

_"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." Jacob rolled his eyes._

_" Your great-grandfather?"_

"_He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf_–_well, not the wolf really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors. You would call them werewolves_."

But that couldn't be possible, could it?

Vampires, werewolves, humans. What else was there that I didn't know about?

A stab of pain hit me. Jacob. He was a… werewolf…

I'd been wrong all along. There was no gang, not even a cult. He was in Sam's… pack. All of them. Sam, Jared, Paul, Embry, and now Jacob.

I stood up, glancing at the clock. It was early, probably too early, but it would take me a bit to get to La Push. I had to see Jacob, I had to.

I wasn't sure of what I needed to hear from Jacob. An explanation, maybe. Proof? I had enough – the way my heart felt, I was absolutely positive of what I thought.

I wanted my Jacob back.

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**Next chapter up whenever (you know my thing about deadlines!!)**

**Please, keep the reviews coming in. If I get enough reviews, I might start dedicating chapters to readers. But we'll wait and see...**

**Again, sorry for rewriting the story a bit, I promise that the changes will be coming shortly. **

**Stay tuned…**

**Little Miss Illusional**


	3. Gravity Shifts

**Chapter three!!**

**Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed, I really appreciate it. It's nice to know that I'm writing the right kind of thing, and that people are actually reading it. As an author, it's awesome. Thanks guys**

**As promised, things start to change in this chapter. And, it's not Bella's POV.**

**I'm giving too much away. You'll just have to read the rest…**

**This chapter's inspirations:**

**Darling, I'll Be Your Werewolf – Short Stack**

**Ever Fallen In Love – The Stiff Dylans**

**I'm Yours – Jason Miraz**

**Meet Me On the Equinox – Death Cab for Cutie**

**Miss Cold – Pete Murray**

**One Step Closer – Short Stack**

**Princess – Short Stack**

**When It Rains – Paramore**

**You Found Me – The Fray**

**Your Guardian Angel – Taylor Swift**

**Enjoy!!**

**Disclaimers: I do not own Twilight, that is the pleasure of Stephanie Meyer**

Chapter Three: Gravity Moves

_Right, let's move out._

_Aww, boss, do we have to? Bella's coming today…_

I sighed, mostly out of frustration. A couple hundred meters to my left, I heard Sam do the same. The new kid's whining about the vampire girl was getting on the whole pack's nerves.

_Jacob, when I said we were patrolling all day, I meant it. So move it, cub!_ Sam's voice was laced with the double timbre of the Alpha. Jacob would be unable to refuse.

He smiled inwardly when he picked that up on my thoughts_. Nearly got out of it once_, he thought. He of course was referring to last night, when he visited the Bella girl.

Paul and Embry suddenly phased. _Trail's still there,_ panted Embry. _Fresh too. Couldn't be more than a day old._

_And it reeks like hell_, added Paul.

_Good work, _Sam said, _now, let's see if we can finally catch the bloodsucker today._

_Good luck with that_, Jacob thought sourly.

We'd been following the bloodsucker's trail for weeks now, but with no luck. She was smart, really smart, and if she was trying to escape from us, she'd get away without a problem. But, what was weird, was that she was trying to get into La Push and Forks. The five of us were the only thing stopping her from getting in.

_We'll run to the track head,_ Sam called. _Wait for the pack when you're there. Don't phase out – we need to stay connected._

_Race you?_ Jacob asked. I shook my head. _What's the point?_ I asked. _You'll beat me anyway_. The new wolf was pretty much the fastest in the pack. Even Sam had trouble keeping up with him.

Jacob decided to sprint anyway. _See you there_, he said. And, with that, he was running.

I monitored his thoughts as I picked up speed. He wasn't concentrating. The leech lover girl was going to come around today, and he didn't want to miss her visit.

I scowled. Relationships – even friendships – weren't good for us. Jacob was already crossing the line with this Bella girl, and she wasn't even his imprint.

_Here. _Said Jacob, barely ten minutes later. _And Paul was right. It stinks like something really bad._

_Great._ I grumbled. We'd be following the stink for the rest of the day, at least, if the scent was that strong.

I saw Jacob, Embry and Paul ahead of me, and skidded to a stop. I shook my head, clearing my thoughts. I'd been so caught up, I hadn't even noticed the run.

Sam arrived last. _Right, this is the plan._ He jumped straight into tactics. _Embry, you'll take the left flank. Paul, you've got the right. I'll lead, and Jacob will take the rear. We'll go in that formation for a couple of hours, following the scent, and we'll see where we are from there._

_What about me? _I asked.

_I need you back in La Push, in case the bloodsucker sneaks around. You can unphase for a few hours, but then I need you to stay connected around midday._

Jacob was whining again. _Please, can Jared and I switch? I'm sure Jared would rather be here than at La Push and I'll-_

_Enough!_ Sam's voice did not waver, but the double timbre his hard. Jacob sunk to the ground under the force of his words. Ouch.

_There will be no switching. Now, let's go. _He was already running. Embry and Paul shot after him. Jacob sat up, glaring at me. I shot him a wolfish grin.

_Bye, Jake! _I said sarcastically. He growled, and ran after the rest of the pack.

***************************************************************

La Push was quiet when I arrived back. Hiding in the trees on the edge of the beach, I unphased, pulling my shorts on. It was cold this morning, but I didn't feel it. That was one of the perks about being a wolf.

I strolled out onto the beach. The surf was up, and already a few keen surfers were out. I contemplated running home to get my board, but decided not to. It was a small beach, and even on quiet days you had to fight for a wave.

Besides, who wanted to do boring old surfing when you could cliff dive with no worries?

I walked along the beach, human speed now. Rain was slowly drizzling down, like it always did. Rain was one of those unavoidable factors on the Olympic Peninsula, as was the cold and the clouds.

It was just past sunrise now, not that you could notice through the clouds. I certainly didn't.

I finally reached the cliffs. Not bothering now with human speed, a zoomed up them, stopping at the edge of the middle ledge. Sam didn't like us jumping from the top. We drew too much attention to ourselves if we did, after all, no one could jump from there. It lead straight into a rip that smashed you into the rocks below. It wasn't a problem for us, not with our wolf-powers, but people would start asking questions.

It was just better this way.

I braced myself for the jump, stepping forward so my toes hung over the ledge. The jump was easy, only twenty or so meters down. The top ledge was nearly forty. I could have free hand climbed up both in my sleep.

I bent my knees, ready to jump.

"Stop!"

I whirled around. A girl was running forward to me, her pretty face filled with worry. She looked familiar, somehow, but I couldn't recall where I knew her from. She didn't look like she went to my school.

"What?" I asked.

She tripped over a small rock near me, and I raced forward to catch her. She was light, easy to catch. She was warm in my arms, and tiny. Her eyes were closed, probably from embarrassment, and her heart was racing.

"Oops." She murmured. "Please tell me that no one else saw that."

"Only me." I laughed.

I lowered her onto the grass, her long, brown hair spilling across her face. She placed her head in her hands, like she was upset about something.

"Thanks," she said tiredly.

"Fall over a lot?" I asked, teasingly.

She shrugged. "Only when I'm trying to stop people from jumping off cliffs."

I laughed again. "It's not dangerous. You just jump off into the water, then swim around to the beach. Mind you, the smart people jump from here. The stupid ones jump from the top."

She laughed quietly. "I'm Bella," she said, still not looking at me. "You're Jared, one of Jacob's friends, right?"

I inwardly gasped. "You're Bella?" I asked.

She nodded, avoiding my gaze.

"Oh," was all I could say. Now that I saw her, I could see why Jacob thought about her so much. She was pretty, exceptionally so.

And then I remembered what Jacob had told her last night. If she was observant as Jacob thought she was, she probably had figured it out.

Great, nice one Jacob.

"So, um…" I began. "You're Jacob's friend, right?"

"So, um…" She mimicked my tone sarcastically, but laced with anger. "You're a werewolf, right?"

Gulp. "Did Jacob tell you?" How the hell did he get around Sam?

"No, I figured it out."

I wasn't surprised. From what Jacob said, she figured out the bloodsucker's dirty little secret too.

I sighed. "Oh. Okay…"

I wasn't sure what to do. Sam hadn't briefed us on these kind of situations. Should I tell her everything, or deny it? I guess there was no point denying everything – Jacob would tell her eventually.

I remembered Jacob being concerned about her mental status. She'd fallen in love with the stupid bloodsucker, who had told her that he loved her, and then been rejected by him. That had to hurt.

I suddenly felt protective over the leech lover. She was still sitting on the ground, avoiding looking at me. I could tell she had once been fiercely independent. Now, she looked fragile and shattered. I was surprised she could hold herself together after all she had been through. She was only human after all.

I wanted to be Jacob Black.

The desire caught me completely off guard. I wanted to be Jacob only so this girl, Bella, trusted me. I wanted to be able to protect her no matter what was after her. I wanted to find the stupid leeches and rip them apart one by one. Did they truly have no decency? How could anyone say they loved her, break her heart and then leave this girl?

I promised myself, if the Cullens ever returned, they would have me to answer to. And it wouldn't be pretty.

I wanted to kill Edward Cullen.

"Bella..." I began. I wasn't sure what to say. 'I care'? How many people had told her that, and then let her down? I could only think of one, but that would have been enough. What he did was inexcusable.

"What, Jared?" He voice, though tired, was beautiful. I loved the way she said my name, I realised.

And then, she looked into my eyes.

In that split second, everything changed. In my head, the world stopped for that moment. Nothing could move me from where I was. The earth's pull on me ceased. Gravity shifted.

There was only one thing I cared about right now, and that was Bella. My Bella.

How beautiful she was! I cursed myself for not realizing before. Her perfect brown hair matched her warm brown eyes, and her creamy complexion was breathtaking. And, she was mine. My Bella.

My Bella.

With a jolt of surprise, I knew what had happened. Gravity shifting, overwhelming desire to protect her.

I imprinted.

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**Well, first chapter from Jared's POV! I haven't decided if I'm going to do another one from his POV or go back to Bella. **

**Let me know in your reviews!**

**Remember, I only post after I get enough reviews. After all, there's no point posting a story that nobody's going to read.**

**Thanks to all the reviewers again! I promise, next chapter, if you all review again, you'll be mentioned!**

**Thanks guys,**

**Little Miss Illusional**

**Ps. Am I the only one that thinks Bella x Jared should have happened?? I am absolutely in LOVE with the idea, hence this story =)**


	4. Be Safe

**Readers,**

**Sorry for the long wait for this chapter. I was hiking with my Duke of Edinborough group – so much fun! 27km in 2 days! Lol. **

**Thanks so much for all the reviews, and, as promised, a mention to some of those who said more than three words:**

**LuvsEmTallDarkAndHandsome**** – awesome descriptive words =)**

**Doopey12**** – I think Bella in my stories is a bit of both. She's really devastated, but she isn't in the middle of a breakdown. **

**tiggerlover1971**** – will do, seems everyone wants either Jared or both**

**fyshnikki**** – aww thanks =) it's great that people think my stories are that good!**

**And thank you to ellaryne, litanolastar, IzzyHale101, sprazinko, FreezingFire81, mauralee88, Kathy Hiester, midnightwolf2192 and FlowerChild67 who all contributed a review. You're all awesome =)**

**Anyway, this chapter's inspirations are:**

**Brick By Boring Brick – Paramore**

**Decoy – Paramore**

**Hopelessly Devoted to You – Taylor Swift**

**Light Surrounding You - Evermore**

**Tied Together With A Smile – Taylor Swift**

**You Pick Me Up – Pete Murray**

**Enjoy!!!**

**Disclaimers: I do not own Twilight… yet….**

Chapter Four: Be Safe

Bella's eyes were wide with confusion. "Jared?" She asked. "Is there something wrong?"

I realized I was staring. Oops. But who could blame me – she was beautiful. I wondered if anyone had told her. Probably, I decided, but she probably didn't listen to those sorts of people.

I wondered if she would listen to me.

I blinked rapidly, bring myself back into focus. Bella, my Bella, was looking at me intently. I still hadn't answered her.

"Nothing," I said. Of course there was something. I wanted to pick her up and hold her and never let her go.

But I think that would have been a tad bit weird for her.

She sighed. "Jake's running around somewhere as a… werewolf… right now, huh?" She said. "And he couldn't tell me because Sam didn't want him to."

She was exactly right.

I nodded. How observant and intelligent my Bella was! "Sam's the Alpha." I said. "His word is the law. It binds anyone in the pack."

She smiled sadly. "So it's not a cult."

I shook my head. "Not a cult. And, for that matter, not a gang."

"Not a gang." She repeated distantly.

She fell silent, looking out to the beach. I wondered if she liked surfing. Maybe I could take her out, help her catch a few waves. I'd invite her back, take her out, have dinner. I just wanted to be around my Bella.

"Jared…" she began. I smiled as she said my name. Her voice, even quiet and broken, was beautiful. She was beautiful.

"Yeah?"

Bella sighed. "Do you know when Jacob and the rest of the… pack will be back? I need to, um, just talk to him."

Jacob. I'd forgotten about him. Did she have feelings for him? Probably not, she was just getting over the leech taking off. But, he'd been her best friend for months now, so they'd probably grown close. Jacob, the little mutt, was totally in love with her.

As was I.

I shook my head. "They'll tell me where they are at midday."

She frowned. "How?"

I bit my lip. Sam had clearly stated that we were not to give away anything about the pack to anyone, yet he had told Emily. Maybe imprints were the exception. But, I didn't want to disobey Sam.

I made up my mind.

Screw Sam.

I told Bella everything that she wanted to know, and more. I told her how Sam phased, then me, then Paul, Embry and now Jacob. I told her about our special abilities, how we could run fast, were strong, could hear and see incredibly well, healed fast and could hear each other in our heads when we phased. I told her about how we didn't age.

"What?" She said, disappointed. "You mean, you can't get older?"

"Nope," I said. "Seems to be that way."

She looked downcast. "Oh."

Cautiously, I put my arm around her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you." Nice one, Jared. Now she's about to cry. Great, man.

She shook her head. "I know. It's just, age is a touchy subject."

At least, she hadn't shrugged off my arm.

She glanced at me. "Aren't you cold?" She asked. I peered down at myself. I was just wearing cut off jeans and a light t-shirt.

"Nope." I explained. "We don't get cold. Or hot either. But we are hot." I added the last part as a joke.

She laughed. She had such a sweet laugh!

Bella looked at her watch. I looked over too. Nine o' five. We'd been sitting here for almost two hours.

"I should go." She said. "Charlie will be wondering where I am."

Quickly, I jumped up and helped her to her feet. She smiled graciously, pearly white teeth framed by pinky red lips. She didn't wear make up like the other girls around, but she didn't need to. Bella was more beautiful than any girl in the whole world anyway.

"Thanks, Jared." She said.

I smiled. She was so kind. "It's not a problem."

She gestured for me to walk with her. "I parked the truck around at Jacob's," she explained. "I walked from there. Billy said he was out with friends, so I hoped that they were at the beach or the cliffs. And then I found you…"

I nodded. She thought I was about to commit suicide or something. Bless her.

We walked in silence. It seemed Bella wasn't one for making up conversation. I didn't mind. It mean I could notice more about my Bella. The way she stumbled every two seconds, how she silently cursed herself for tripping over the smallest things. Occasionally, when she didn't fall for a while, her arms would come up to her stomach and she would fold them across herself, like she was holding herself together. I had to had it to her. I was still amazed that she was holding it all together. I thought that, by now, she would be falling to pieces. I guess I had Jacob Black to thank for that. Without him, she probably would have fallen apart.

I growled silently. It seemed I owed the mutt a favor.

*************************************************************

We reached Jacob's house. Bella's truck, an ancient looking red Chevy truck, was parked on the side of the road.

She laughed as she caught my gaze. "It's a bit old." She said. "Charlie bought it off Billy for me."

So it was another thing of Jacob around her.

She fumbled around in her pocket, searching for her keys. My Bella was going home. A stab of pain hit me. I didn't want to let her go, not even for a second. What if she was hurt on the way back? What if her ancient truck broke down and she was stuck on the side of the road for the rest of the day?

She smiled, catching my gaze. "It goes better than it looks."

I forced a smile.

I realised I would have to say goodbye to Bella – at least for today.

"Oh, um," I began. "Take care of yourself." What was I, her grandmother? Great work, Jared.

Bella smiled. "Thanks for telling me about… you…" She probably wasn't comfortable with the whole werewolf thing yet.

"That's okay. I'm sorry Jacob didn't tell you."

She looked down, avoiding my gaze. "I just… I don't know. I thought he trusted me. I trusted him!"

My heart ached at that. The mutt Jacob meant a lot to her. More than I meant at the moment. I wished that could change.

No, it _would_ change.

She looked up again. "Could you tell him that I want to talk to him, whenever you see him next? It would mean a lot to me."

"Sure." Anything for you, my Bella.

She nodded. "I'd better be going then."

Smiling, she jumped into her truck, nearing tripping as she got in. I started forward, then stopped myself. Bella didn't like it when she felt clumsy, or if she got help from people. She was a creature of solitude, my Bella, an individual, from what I could gather.

I waved as the truck rolled forward onto the road.

_Bye, my Bella._ I thought. _Be safe._

*************************************************************

**Poor Jared… my favourite stalkerish werewolf =)**

**Next chapter up whenever.**

**Again, thank you to everyone that reviewed. If I can get at least fifteen for this chapter, I'll give hints about what's coming up…**

**Now there's an incentive to press the review button!**

**Thanks guys,**

**Little Miss Illusional**


	5. Déjà Vu

**Readers,**

**Bit of a short chapter this one, I apologise. **

**This wasn't originally meant to be a full chapter, but the next one is pretty lengthy, so I decided to make it a short chapter. Sorry for any inconveniences. **

**Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed, I'm so happy about the attention this story is getting! Keep them up!**

**Don't forget that little incentive from the last chapter. Fifteen reviews or more for this chapter (or the last one) and I'll give away some sneak peaks to the next few chapters.**

**This chapters inspirations are:**

**Angel – Kelly Clarkson**

**Cry – Hilary Duff**

**Fall to Pieces – Avril Lavigne**

**How to Save A Life – The Fray**

**Mouth Shut – the Veronicas**

**No Sunlight – Death Cab for Cutie**

**Out of the Blue – Delta Goodrem**

**Enjoy**

**Disclaimers: I do not own Twilight... but i wish i did**

Chapter Five: Déjà Vu

I got home, parked the truck, walked in the door, ran up to my room, jumped onto the bed and cried.

In that exact order.

How could Jacob lie to me, like that? How could he keep a secret like that and not tell me? Worse, how could he practically say that he didn't want to talk to me ever again, then turn up again out of the blue and tell me to guess that he was a werewolf?

I had never been a violent person. Renee had always wanted me to take up martial arts to try to get a bit of co ordination going on, but, as usual, I wound up doing more harm to myself and the others around me than any sort of good. I think the instructors were more than happy to see me leave after my fourth – and last – lesson.

But, despite this, I wanted to hit Jacob. Maybe, not physically, but I wanted him to hurt mentally. I wanted him to feel the pain and the loss that I had felt from the past two days. I wondered if he'd be doing any better than me.

I calmed myself down. No, I couldn't hurt Jacob, not like that. I wouldn't let anyone else feel what I felt like right now.

And yet, it was Edw- _him_ again. He was acting like _he _had.

Was he purposely trying to bring back memories of the life that I wanted to be forgotten?

A werewolf. Honestly. What's next, will Mike disappear off to Hogwarts? Did Jessica or Angela have hidden wings or magical abilities? Was I the only human on the entire planet?

What was worse was that he wasn't the one to tell me. He'd gone off with the rest of his… pack… and left his friend, Jared, to tell me the 'good' news.

I sighed through the tears. Jared had been nice enough about it. I'd never met him before, so he was close enough to a complete stranger. Great one, Jake.

I wondered where he was. Jared had said they would contact him at about noon. I shuddered. The whole telepathic linkup that Jared had told me about was so creepy. From what he'd said, they heard everything, not just what they wanted the other guys to hear.

Did Jacob ever think about me?

At least Jared hadn't told me about everything – I could tell he was holding back on me. Saving something for Jacob to tell me, perhaps. Did they drink blood too?

I shuddered. I hadn't asked that question.

I jumped off my bed and made a beeline for the computer. To my utter surprise, the computer decided to be friendly and loaded pretty much straight away.

I opened up the internet and called up Google. Slowly, I typed one word into the search browser.

Werewolf.

I clicked enter, and a whole lot of sites came up. I clicked on the first one.

_In popular folklore, a man who is transformed, or who transforms himself, into a wolf in nature and appearance under the influence of a full moon. The werewolf is only active at night and during that period, he devours infants and corpses. According to legend, werewolves can be ki__lled by silver objects such as silver arrows and silver bullets. When a werewolf dies he is returned to his human form._

_The word is a contraction of the old-Saxon word wer (which means "man") and wolf – werewolf, manwolf. A Lycanthrope, a term often used to describe werewolves, however, is someone who suffers from a mental disease and only thinks he has changed into a wolf._

_The concept of werewolves, or lycanthropes, is possibly based on the myth of __Lycaon__. He was the king of Arcadia, and in the time of the ancient Greeks notorious for his cruelty. He tried to buy the favor of __Zeus__ by offering him the flesh of a young child. Zeus punished him for this crime and turned him into a wolf. The legends of werewolves have been told since the ancient Greeks and are known all over the world. _

I shivered. _Devours infants and corpses_ didn't sound like the Jacob I knew.

And yet, that's what every website I found for the next hour seemed to say. Drinks blood, shape shifts on the full moon, evil, worships the Devil. That's what they all said.

I returned to the list, but closed off the internet browser. What was I doing? The déjà vu, these past few minutes, they were too close to last time.

At least, if the déjà vu was true, Jacob wouldn't turn out to be like that, hopefully. Maybe the La Push werewolves were different, somehow. Jared hadn't mentioned anything about blood drinking.

Then again, it probably wouldn't be something that you'd mention to a almost stranger.

I turned the computer off. It was a load of crap anyway. Jacob, not even the new Jacob, would be a killer.

There was a knock on my door. I nearly fell off my seat.

"Come in." I called.

Charlie's head poked around the door. "Didn't mean to startle you." He said quietly. "Just letting you know I'm home early."

There was something different about Charlie, something I couldn't quite but my finger on. The tone of his voice, the slight and subtle emotion on his voice.

"Dad," I said. "What happened?"

He breathed deeply, unable to answer. I'd never seen him so upset in my whole life.

"Did something happen at work?" Now even I was worried.

He nodded. "Perhaps you should come down to the station with me."

* * *

**Wow, cliff hanger. I'm mean, aren't I?**

**If anyone can guess the reason why Charlie's upset, I'll dedicate the next chapter to them and they can get an exclusive sneak peak to the next three chapters!!!**

**Yay!**

**Again, reviews are golden =D**

**Thanks for reading, **

**Stay Tuned…**

**Little Miss Illusional**


	6. I Ache, Inside

**Yay next chapter!**

**As I mentioned in the last chapter, there was a small competition running to guess why Charlie was so upset. There was a winner, who I am proud to announce is… ****ellaryne****!! Congratulations and thank you to everyone else that had a guess.**

**Also, I've decided that I'm going to avoid cliff hangers as much as I can. I take it that you guys don't like them very much =)**

**The inspiration for this chapter is actually included in the song, and if you can listen to it when you're reading the song, it will make the story so much better. My sister proof read this whilst she was listening to the song, and she absolutely loved it. But that could just be bias.**

**Anyway, the inspirations are:**

**Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol**

**Fix You - Coldplay**

**For One Day – Evermore**

**Jump Then Fall – Taylor Swift**

**Never Say Never – The Fray**

**Signal Fire – Snow Patrol**

**The Last Day On Earth – Kate Miller-Heidke**

**Before I get on with the story, sorry for kind of ignoring Jared at the moment. I promise, he'll be back VERY soon…**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimers: I do not own Twilight or The Last Day on Earth**

Chapter Six: I Ache, Inside

_Look down_

_The ground below is crumbling_

_Look up_

_The stars are all exploding_

The radio was the only thing in the station that broke the silence that had been there, awkwardly, for the whole five hours I'd been there. I stood up to turn it off, the noise being disrespectful somehow, but stopped myself. Charlie needed me now, he needed someone next to him.

Charlie's blank expression mirrored that of the other five officers in the building, two of which were sitting opposite us, their heads in their hands. The other three had moved into a separate room to begin the long list of calls that would eventually have to happen.

How could this of happened?

The question nagged at me, persistent and ever present. Deep down, in the back of my mind, I knew exactly what could have caused such a tragedy, but I doubted anyone here wanted to hear my theory, much less believed me.

_It's the last day on earth_

_In my dreams_

_In my dreams_

_It's the end of the world_

_And you've come back to me_

_In my dreams_

"Dad…" I said quietly, muttering. "Do you need help with anything? Is there something I could do?"

Charlie blinked, looking at me like he'd never seen me before. Like I was the only person on earth. He looked so fragile, so broken, it was like looking in a mirror to what I had looked like less than half a year ago. I shuddered mentally.

"I'm alright, Bells."

I looked away. He wasn't.

Officer Johnson, a thirty-something year old officer looked over at me. "Perhaps you should go home. The Chief's going to have to be here for a while."

I nodded, standing up. The tension in the room, not to mention the emptiness, was killing me.

I turned to Charlie. "If there's anything you need, I'll be at home."

I gave a half smile to Officer Johnson and walked out of the station.

* * *

_Between the dust and old debris_

_There's a light_

_Surrounding you and me_

The same song played in the truck in the drive home. I kept the radio on, maybe as a distraction more than anything. I couldn't think right now. I didn't want to think.

I reached the house and parked. During the drive, the rain had slowed to a drizzle, as it always did in the evenings in Forks, but I still was soaked when I got to the front door.

I bee-lined to the phone, switching the radio on as I walked past it. The song that was playing at the station and in the car was good, fitting somehow.

_It's the last day on earth_

_In my dreams_

_In my dreams_

_It's the end of the world_

_And you've come back to me_

_In my dreams_

Punching in a well known number, I waited for the call to be answered.

A husky voice answered. "Black residence."

"Jake, it's me."

A slow intake of breath. "Bella? Are you alright?"

I nodded, realizing how stupid that was. "I'm alright. You've heard, haven't you?"

Jake sighed. "Maybe a bit more than that."

I figured as much. "Do you want to talk to me about it? Please? I just… I need to know…"

There was a loud noise coming from the receiver. Jake swore under his breath. "I have to go." He muttered.

"No, Jake!" But the line was dead.

I sank to the ground, leaning against the wall next to the phone.

I'd lost Jake, all over again and again and again.

How could he keep doing this to me?

I wondered if I still even had a heart, after all that I'd been putting it through. Probably, it was still there, shattered and broken into tiny pieces. I felt like it had been ripped out, stomped on my a football team, chopped and diced, fed into a grinder and shoved into my body.

Shattered and broken? Try damaged, maybe beyond repair.

_In my head _

_I replay our conversations_

_Over and over_

_Till they feel like hallucinations_

_You know me_

_I love to loose my mind_

The door burst open, and I scrambled to my feet. A figure came racing up the hallway, towards me. At least now I knew my heart was still there. It beat like crazy, thudding like a drum in my chest. My hands brushed against the wall, trying to find something. A bat would be helpful right now

"Bella?"

I sighed in relief. "Jake?"

A light switched on. I'd been so intent on getting to the phone that I hadn't bothered with light switches.

Jacob was panting, wearing only cut off shorts. His chest and feet were bare.

I forced a smile. "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "You wanted to talk, so here I am."

"You ran, didn't you?"

He laughed. "Being a wolf does have some advantages. I think I just broke the ground speed record."

Without warning, he scooped me up off the floor, carried me to the lounge and dumped me there. He plopped himself next to me.

I groaned. "No need for a demonstration."

Jacob's face was unreadable. His eyes were cautious as he scanned my face. What did he hope to see? A reminder, a hope, that he still had something to cling onto.

"You were there, won't you?"

He nodded, looking away, his euphoria gone suddenly. "It all happened so fast…"

_Whenever we talk_

_Anybody speaks your name_

_I still feel the same_

_Oh, I ache, I ache, inside_

I moved closer to him. He was warm, extremely so, and comfortable. "Charlie told me the police perspective on what happened, but I can guess…"

Jacob pulled me closer to him, leaving his arm around my shoulder. "Your guess is probably right."

I gasped lowly. "All those people."

_The station was unnaturally busy when Charlie pulled up. He jumped out of the car, racing up into the motion sensor doors. I followed his lead, anxious to find out what had happened._

_An officer called out to Charlie. "Forensics have confirmed all of the identities now. The reports are in your office."_

_He nodded absentmindedly. _

"_Dad," I said carefully. "What happened?"_

_He exhaled deeply. "Something happened this morning, just after I got to work. A couple of hikers discovered a… well… some bodies in the woods. It's not good."_

_I gasped lowly. "That's… oh…" I was lost for words._

_Charlie looked away. "One of them was Harry. Harry Clearwater."_

Jacob rested his head on my shoulder, bringing me out of my flashback.

There'd been eleven bodies found altogether. Eight were from out of town, Olympia and Seattle mostly, according to forensics. Two were from town, the super market owner and a resident on the far side of town. The last was Harry Clearwater, a friend of Charlie and Billy's and an Elder of the tribe. He was like a second father to Jake, and now he was gone.

A low sob escaped from my mouth. "I'm so sorry, Jake."

He didn't say anything.

The song on the radio finished. The news segment came on:

_And now, in breaking news, the bodies of eleven people were discovered in the Olympic National Park just thirty miles out of Forks at nine o'clock this morning. Police say that the cause was murder, and are asking for any information from the public-_

Jacob, quicker than my eyes could see, jumped up and turned the radio off. His eyes were wet with tears.

"Don't apologize, Bella." He said. "I'm the one that should be explaining."

He took a deep breath. "We – the pack – were out this morning, trying to follow a scent left behind by a vampire. We followed it for an hour, and then we found… them." He paused. "The bloodsucker was draining the last of them, but then they saw us. Sam ordered us after the leech, but when we saw Harry…" He trailed off for a few moments, then continued. "We had to hurry, because Sam heard hikers coming. She tried to run after that."

I gasped. "She?" I asked incredulously.

Jake nodded. "We caught her though. Sam and Paul finished her off. It was too late to save Harry though."

I debated whether or not to tell Jacob that the vampire the pack had just killed was most likely Victoria, but I decided against it. There was no point worrying Jacob even more than he was now. At least, now that she was gone, I had some closure and peace of mind.

The door bust open, and a figure came running in. Didn't anyone knock these days?

Sam bust into the living room, his eyes wild. "Jacob," he said sternly. "I thought I told you this wasn't a good idea."

Jacob shrugged, not startled like I was about Sam's sudden appearance, though he had probably heard him coming. "Bella deserved to know."

Sam scowled, but let the issue past. "It doesn't matter now. Something's come up, and we need the whole pack." He nodded in my direction. "Nice to see you again, Bella."

I smiled, though I'm sure he saw right through it. "Same to you."

Sam left, leaving the door open. "Hurry, Jacob." He called in his booming voice.

"Bye," Jake said, hovering near the hallway. "I'll try to come and see you soon."

I nodded. "Tell the Clearwaters that Charlie and I are thinking of them."

Jacob sighed, and followed Sam out the door.

* * *

**Poor Charlie, and the Clearwater family.**

**I know this is out of order according to the New Moon plot, but then again, Bella and Jared never happened, so I'm okay with changing the plot.**

**Thanks, and keep the reviews rolling in. Awesome to see the reviews in my inbox each day! I admit I am very vain and self centered, and enjoy reading people giving my writing compliments =)**

**Thanks, and keep reading,**

**Little Miss Illusional**


	7. Fairytale

**Yay, next chapter!**

**I hope no one is too upset about the character death from the last chapter. I know I don't normally kill off my characters, so please excuse this. It won't happen again (unless one of them **_**really **_**annoys me!)**

**This chapter's inspirations: **

**Blind – Silverchair**

**Do You Want Me – Hilary Duff**

**Miracle – Paramore **

**Remember to Breathe – Amy Pearson**

**The Beautiful Lie – Evermore **

**The Only One I See – Evermore**

**Thanks to everyone that reviewed, please keep them coming!**

**Enjoy!!!**

**Disclaimers: I do not own Twilight.**

Chapter Seven: Fairytale

The little mutt was not happy.

I mean, he was practically growling at me – unphased, the coward didn't want to face me in a wolf form – and he had been giving me death glares for the past five minutes. Sheesh, cub, anger management much?

Sam called the pack to order. "That's enough, everyone." Four expectant faces turned to face the Alpha.

He stared into our faces each for several moments before he began. "As we are all aware, two very unexpected things have happened today, though one is not as drastic as the other."

He paused. "The first of which is Jared's imprint. You all know her, Bella Swan."

Jacob took that moment to mutter a volley of curses at me.

"Right back at you, cub." I muttered at him.

Sam glanced meaningfully at Jacob and I before continuing. "Obviously, this is causing problems between us, so we need to work through this." He turned to Jacob. "Since Bella is Jared's imprint, it would be unadvisable for you to attempt a relationship with Bella. We do not want a split in the pack."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "She doesn't even feel anything for _him_. Her best friend-"

"And that's all you're going to be." Sam interrupted.

Jacob scowled, unable to go against the Alpha's command. I hoped to God that he wouldn't try to find a way around his order like he had last time.

Sam continued. "And the other issue is the one that the rest of us… came across this morning." His voice lowered. "Harry was a elder and a great friend to all of us, and it is going to be hard to deal with the loss."

He trailed off, lost in thought.

He shook his head. "That is all."

With that, the Alpha walked out of the room.

Emily's and Sam's house was unrecognisably quiet tonight.

Jacob had gone home, probably to comfort his dad. I didn't blame him, but I wasn't upset to see him go. The little dog was really starting to annoy me.

After the meeting, and before dinner, Sam and I had discussed what I was to do about my imprint. I hadn't seen Bella since the morning, and I was anxious to see her again, but Sam was hesitant. Bella, my Bella, didn't know that I was destined to be with her, and was still getting over the stupid leech. A boyfriend, especially a werewolf boyfriend, wasn't a big thing on her agenda.

In the end, we'd decided that I would gradually get close to her, small steps at a time, until it would be safe to tell her. From there, who knows.

Dinner was a quiet affair. Though Jacob wasn't much of a main contributor to the noise, it was easy to notice his missing presence.

Paul and Sam were quietly discussing who would phase first – Quill Ateara, or Seth Clearwater. Both of them had begun the tell-tale growth spurt that would quickly transform them into tall and muscular bulk that we all were.

Emily lingered in the kitchen, humming to herself quietly as she washed up. We had tried offering to help with the household chores, but she'd refused our help. She was nice like that.

I sat opposite Sam and Paul, contemplating.

I wanted to see my Bella so badly right now that it hurt. Jacob, the little mutt, had stopped by her house and had a call from her.

I wished I could tell Bella everything now, confess my feelings in a way. Yet, this wasn't a fairytale. She wouldn't cry with tears of joy and laugh as I swept her off her feet. She'd look at me like I was crazy and tell me to get lost and never come back.

That's the thing about fairytales. They're _tales_, untrue.

Yet, I still wanted to see Bella, even if that meant hiding outside her house all night. I just needed to know that she was safe and happy.

I grimaced internally. My Bella was hurt badly still, especially after today. There was little chance that she was happy.

I couldn't take this. The quiet of the house was killing me.

"I'm going," I muttered, already out the door.

* * *

Bella was asleep when I reached her house.

I could hear her quiet, even breaths from below her window. I was glad. She deserved a good night's sleep, especially after today.

I turned to leave – after all, there was nothing I could do here except worry about her – when I heard her speak.

"Jacob…" she said, and I heard her roll over.

I was angry now. Why would she say the mutt's name in her sleep? Was she dreaming about him? Would I get a mention?

And then, she said another series of names. I heard Jacob's again, then the leech, someone called Angela, and then, so quietly I wasn't sure if I heard right, me.

"Jared," she said simply.

My heart exploded with happiness.

Without even realising, I was suddenly in her room, sitting in the rocking chair opposite her bed, watching her.

Bella was beautiful, even in her sleep. And, ironically, she said more when she was asleep than when she was awake.

After the names, there were a few mumbled words that I didn't understand, then some more random sentences.

_It's too green._

_Jacob, my Jacob._

_Harry, gone._

_I lost him._

_It's the last day on earth._

They all made no sense, to me at least. I'd never talked in my sleep, or seen anyone else. But, from what I heard from Bella, this was all her subconscious thoughts coming up to the surface and escaping.

I wanted her to say my name again, so badly it hurt. Didn't I deserve another mention, or was it only Jacob that she thought of?

She rolled over again, mumbling indistinctively.

"Jacob… help me," she called out, slightly louder than before. "Victoria… no… she's dead… Jacob…"

I didn't have the slightest clue who Victoria was, or how Bella knew her.

"Edward," she called, urgently, the same tone as before. I growled lowly. "Edward… no… come back… I love you…"

It was so hard to keep myself from phrasing right then. The unbelievable hate I felt towards the bloodsucker was enough to have me vibrating and shaking with rage. I tried to calm myself down, taking deep breaths. That was the closest I'd come to loosing control in a very long time. It'd didn't feel good.

I had to get away from Bella, for her own safety. I was a mess right now.

I turned back to the window, pausing to take a sweeping glance at Bella. She was quiet now, peaceful.

"Bye, my Bella." I whispered.

She didn't stir.

I sighed and jumped out the window.

Fairytale or not, I needed to do something, and fast.

My Bella was slipping away from me, and I wasn't sure if I could bring her back.

Yet… was I her Prince Charming? Cinderella's and the Prince's roles were reversed? What if the Prince was in love with Cinderella, but she barely knew he existed. Or, worse, what if Jacob was her Prince Charming, and I was just one of those unnamed, background characters?

No. I couldn't be. I refused. Bella, even if she didn't realise it, was destined to be with me. My Cinderella.

* * *

**Next chapter coming up soon.**

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**Thanks,**

**Little Miss Illusional**


	8. Soulmate

**Readers,**

**Well, this chapter's probably best described as a turning point for Bella, but that's all I'm going to say… for now…**

**Please please please keep the reviews coming in! I know it's a lot to ask for, but I admit I am selfish and like hearing people say how good (or bad) my stories are =)**

**This chapter only has a few inspirations, but these songs are very important to me as this is probably my favourite chapter so far. **

**Inspirations:**

**Decode – Paramore**

**Meet Me On The Equinox – Death Cab for Cutie**

**The Scientist – Coldplay **

**This Game – Pete Murray**

**Underneath This Smile – Hilary Duff**

**You're All I Have – Snow Patrol**

**Also this chapter, the story's summary message will appear. Yeay! **

**Anyway, enjoy!**

**Disclaimers: I don't own Twilight, but I do own this pretty awesome story!**

Chapter 8: Soulmate

The funeral was a quiet affair.

We were gathered on the banks of the Quillayute, in a small clearing that Billy, Charlie and Harry had used for fishing. The Clearwaters had only wanted a small funeral for Harry, so I was fairly confident I would know everyone. I was right.

As well as Sue and her kids Leah and Seth, there was Billy, the rest of the pack, Emily – Sam's wife, and Charlie and I.

Harry had been cremated, just as he had wanted, and after a few readings from the Clearwaters and Billy, they were scattered into the river just after three in the afternoon. For some reason, the weather was on our side – not a cloud in the sky. Harry would have liked that.

I didn't see one dry eye that whole day.

"I've got the day off," Charlie explained in a sombre voice as we drove around to Billy's. Everyone had been invited back for lunch. "So I'm going to be staying for as long as Billy needs me. You can go home if you want."

I shook my head, declining the offer. "I think I'll stick around."

He pulled up outside the Black's house, just as the pack emerged out of the woods behind the house. They must have taken a more… convenient way back.

"Darn kids," muttered Charlie. "Wonder what they've been up to now."

I rolled my eyes. "That's Jacob and his friends."

Charlie scowled. "I'm still not convinced about the Sam guy. There's something about him…" He trailed off, not knowing just how close to the truth he was. The was something about Sam, about all of them…

"I'm going to see Jacob," I announced as I hopped out of the truck. "I'll see you later, Dad."

I carefully made my way over to the pack. It would be embarrassing to trip over now.

"Jacob!" I called.

They had stopped on the edge of the forest. Jacob was smiling, beckoning me over. Sam, however, didn't look happy. What was that on his face, disapproval?

"Hey," Jacob said as I reached the edge of the trees. "Didn't get much of a chance to talk at the funeral, eh?"

"Yeah," I agreed.

One of the other wolves, Jared – the one I'd met on the beach – stared at me intently. I blushed, embarrassed.

Sam gestured for Jacob. "You and I are on patrol." He said. "And we are leaving now."

Jacob scowled. "Can't I swap with Paul?"

Jared laughed. "Not a chance."

"Then lets go." Sam ordered. He stalked back into the trees, out of view.

Jacob sighed. "Sorry, Bells."

"It's okay."

With that, he followed his Alpha.

I turned back to the remaining three wolves. They were staring at me intently, and two had copied Sam's disapproving face. The other, Jared, was smiling openly.

"We're going up to the cliffs," said Paul, gruffly. I wondered what his problem was. "Want to come?" He added the last part after a few moments, like he was forced to.

I shrugged. I didn't have anything else to do. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

In the end, it turned out that they all were nice enough, this afternoon at least. Embry, Jacob's friend, was probably the easiest to get along with. He smiled a lot and laughed, unlike Paul, who grudgingly accepted my presence. Jared, on the other hand, was a bit creepy, overly helpful. Honestly, I had no idea what was prompting his behaviour. I just hoped that Jacob hadn't mentioned by breakdown and that Jared didn't somehow feel obligated to be a carer for me. I could look after myself.

It was nearing dusk now. Paul and Embry had gone off into the trees to phase so they could check up on Jacob and Sam. I sat on the edge of the cliffs, looking out to the sea. The cliffs gave a spectacular view – the sky literally was pink and the water was gold as the sun set over the ocean.

"Nice, isn't it?" a quiet, husky voice said.

I jumped, not realising that Jared had come up behind me.

I smiled. "It's breathtaking."

Jared looked away, muttering something.

I looked at him. "I didn't catch that, sorry."

He shrugged. "Nothing."

We sat in silence for a while, and then I realised the last time I'd been here, sitting quietly with Jared, was when I found out the truth. It was hard to believe that was only a week ago.

"Bella," he said quietly, in a low tone.

"Yes?" I asked.

He looked out at the ocean. "Would it be alright for me to ask you a personal question? You don't have to answer it if you want to."

"I'm not the best person for relationship advice, if that's what it is about."

He chuckled quietly. "Nah, it's not that." He paused, consuming the scenery.

"How do you do it?" He asked. "How can you sit there so calmly, when that _leech_ hurt you so bad? How did you move on from someone that would die for you?"

I stared at him in horror. "Who told you?" I whispered.

"Jacob."

I looked away. "I don't really want to talk about this." Already, I could feel myself going numb, the pain of remembering setting in.

Jared made a soft, apologetic noise. "Sorry." He said simply.

I was lost for words. His voice, he sounded so sincere. Like he'd been where I was now. Maybe that was why he was so interested in me.

"It hurts." I blurted out, breaking the silence. "It really hurts, and it never stops. But you can't stop. You have to keep going, be strong. And there's no one to help you, 'cause the only person that could is gone."

Jared stared hard into my eyes, stone faced.

"Someone hurt you, didn't they?" I asked sympathetically. He nodded.

"I love this girl, but she doesn't realise it, and I'm probably doing more harm than good to her by loving her. She doesn't love me, and she won't ever, because I'm not the right person for her."

I didn't even notice the tears on my face until they fell into my half opened mouth.

He smiled sadly. "And now I've made you cry."

I shrugged. "It's not your fault. And I haven't moved on. You never do."

He looked back to the ocean. The sun was half submerged into the distant horizon. "Love sucks." He whispered.

"You got that right." I agreed.

We lapsed into a silence again. In ways, Jared was a lot like Angela – quiet, no need to fill the gaps, a shoulder to cry on.

Jared moved over, closer to me. "You alright?" He asked. I must have still been crying.

"I'll live, I said tersely.

Slowly, and carefully, he wrapped a warm, muscular arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer to him.

I didn't say anything.

Jared was unbelievably warm, radiating heat like Jacob did. Yet, he was more comfortable than Jacob, both as a person and as something to lean on. It felt like I'd known him for much longer than one, short week.

"Don't cry," he whispered into my ear. "I'm here."

Somehow, that made me feel better.

"Jared…" I said, unsure of how to proceed. "Who's this girl that you're in love with. Is she from your school? Did you imprint?"

He answered after a few moments. "Yeah, she's in my English."

I was not sure why I suddenly felt so… strange. A feeling had come over me that was completely new.

Jealousy.

No. I couldn't be jealous! I'd only just met Jared. He was a friend, if that. I did not have any feelings what so ever for him. No!

And yet… did I? I seemed so at home with Jared, like he was perfect for me. A new beginning for me to move on with. It wasn't too soon – _he'd _practically asked me to find a new boyfriend as soon as he'd stepped out of town. That's what he'd wanted.

"Oh, really?" I said, disappointed.

Jared laughed. "Nah. She doesn't go to my school… but I did imprint on someone."

"So who then?"

He paused deliberately.

"You."

My heart beat erratically inside my chest, trying to type out a message to my confused brain. My mind didn't have the answers I searched for – did my heart have one? There was only one way to find out.

I found the place, just out of reach from my subconscious. Everyone retreats there at one point or another. You know that place inside you, where pain and suffering are just words to your broken heart? It's where you'll retreat when you see that there's no point living in an empty shell. And he's not coming back. But Jared was here, cradling me in his arms. Ready to help me rebuild.

"Jared…"

"Yeah?" I loved his voice, I realized. It was husky, yet smoother than Jacob's and rougher than Edward's. Just… perfect. Perfect for me. Jared wasn't Edward, and he would never be, but if Edward wasn't my soulmate, maybe Jared was.

"I love you too."

* * *

**Wow!**

**I'm so happy this turned out the way it has, so thanks to everyone! **

**I am actually considering finishing the story here. Bella has realised that she loves Jared, and vice-versa, so there might not be much point continuing into their romance, because I won't be able to find somewhere to finish. **

**PLEASE let me know what you guys want!**

**Thanks,**

**Little Miss Illusional**


	9. Dance

**Readers,**

**Well, I decided to continue with the story. I saw that there is room for more, so I can somehow continue this story. It might get a bit sad and dark from here, but bear with me. This is the only way I can continue the story.**

**Thanks so much to the reviews for the last chapter. This chapter is up so quickly because of them!**

**No inspirations for this chapter, sorry!**

**Keep up with the reviews,**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter Nine: Dance

"Bella?" He asked. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I whispered. "Just don't come any closer."

"Bella?" He motioned for me to come to him. I shook my head. "I can't."

And then, suddenly, I was flying, as someone had pushed me. I was airborne, straight into his open arms.

"Bella!" Jared laughed as he caught me.

I scowled. "I told you, I do _not_ do formals, or proms, or _anything _that involves _dancing_!"

Paul, who'd just pushed me out the door, laughed as well. "So scary werewolves are nothing, but when someone mentions dancing…"

I shot him the evils.

"For what it's worth," Jared whispered in my ear. "I think you look beautiful."

I sighed. I was losing this fight.

"Fine." I said brusquely. "Let's go."

* * *

La Push High was roughly the same size and shape as Forks High, and filled with the same sort of kids. In some ways, they were pretty much the same, except Forks High used to have vampires running around in it, and La Push had its werewolves. Ironic much?

All there werewolves, minus Sam, were there. Somehow, Jacob and Embry had scored and invite. I figured that because Sam didn't go to school anymore, he probably wasn't welcome, and was running a patrol. I cursed myself for not thinking to make plans with Sam to get out of this.

As well as Jared and I, Jacob and Paul had imprinted. Jacob had found this girl, someone from the school. I promised myself to get to know her, for Jacob's sake. He was still my best friend, even now, and nothing would change that, especially now that he also had her.

Paul, much to Billy and Jacob's horror, had imprinted on Rachael, Jacob's older sister. I smiled inwardly at that. They'd only met because the Blacks came to Jared and Paul's graduation, and Jared made the rest of the pack come. Paul had imprinted right as the principal was giving her speech, and he'd blurted out that he loved Rachael at the top of his lungs. Imagine her horror.

"I'm sorry," Jared said again as we twirled around the dancefloor. I'd propped myself up on his feet and made him do all the work.

I smiled. "I forgive you… so long as it doesn't happen again."

He laughed. "No more graduation dances then."

"Well, we've already had mine, so I guess we're in the clear."

Safe, for now.

He thought for a moment. "There's always Jacob and Embry's next year."

"I'll find some way out of it."

"Or I could just drag you along."

I gasped. "You wouldn't!"

He stuck his tongue out. "Of course not."

Meeting Jared was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. With the imprint thing, I had the reassurance that Jared would always be there, and would never leave. Love was the only thing that had tied Edward and I together, and when love wasn't there for Edward, he left.

Jared would never do that to me.

"I love you." I said quietly, resting my head on his shoulder.

He breathed deeply, pausing for a moment. "I love you too."

Paul and Racheal danced past us. "Come on, slow pokes!" Called Paul mockingly. "That's not dancing."

Jared looked at me. "Want to escape?"

I sighed, thankful. "Let's go!"

Jared lead me out of the hall, away from the music and dancing. I sighed with relief.

"I'll drive," I offered. "I need to clear my head."

Jared glanced meaningfully at me.

I turned around, trying to spot Jared's car. I couldn't how had we gotten here?

Oh yeah. We'd ran.

I scowled. "I think I'll take my chances back inside with dancing."

He laughed. "I thought you wanted to go home?"

I sighed. "I do, but-"

Jared quickly swept me into his arms, taking off into the woods by the school. I didn't bother screaming – I'd be long gone by the time people came to look.

The trees flew past, as I had forgotten to shut my eyes. I didn't get the motion sickness that I once had whenever Jared put me through this, but I did still feel sick.

Finally, it was over.

"Enjoy that?" He asked as he set me down on the ground in front of my house.

I wobbled uncertainly on my legs. "No." I pouted.

He put his arms around me, pulling me closer. His lips met mine, crushing my face against his. He was so warm, caring. It was so hard to believe I found him, even now.

I broke off, thanks to my jelly legs. I realized I was falling, just as I toppled over.

Jared caught me once more. "Fall down again?" He smirked.

I glared at him.

The howling started in the woods, signalling that Jared would have to go. I wondered what the problem was.

"Damn," he said. "I forgot I was on patrol tonight."

I smiled. "It's alright. I'll see you tomorrow then?"

He nodded. "Goodnight, my Bella."

I still blushed whenever he said that.

I didn't feel like sleeping, even though I was tired. Without realizing, I had found my way up the small track through the woods into the clearing.

I sat on an overturned log, thinking.

It had been a year since Edward left, and I did not go a day without thinking about him. At least now I could bring myself to say his name.

It had been seven months that I had been with Jared. Probably the best six months of my life too. Jared was so perfect in ever way, and the way he made me feel perfect was so beautiful.

Of course, Charlie adored him. Then again, Charlie was constantly in one of those moods these days. Ever since he and Sue started dating, he'd been almost as happy I me. I was so glad for him that he'd finally found someone.

Sue's kids, Leah and Seth had started phasing. Leah was a huge shock to the pack. Never before had a female turned into a werewolf, and it was had to keep their boy thoughts to themselves when she was around. Luck for them she was so forgiving. Her and Sam once had something prior to his first phase, but they had a 'good' break up.

Seth was the most decent kid I'd met in ages. He idolised Jacob and Jared, and treated me like a sister.

I sighed. "So much has happened," I whispered to myself.

It was twilight now, a full moon. I never seemed to see any new moons these days. It was a rare occasion that there were no clouds tonight, and both the moon and the stars were visible.

It was so quiet, so beautiful.

I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't see the figure approaching.

"Bella?"

* * *

**Who is it???**

**NO GUESSING!!! Save the surprise for next chapter!**

**This chapter is kind of set a few months after the last one. Bella had graduated, as well as Jared (in my story, they are in the same year). Seth and Leah have phased. I don't think I'll bring Collin and Brady into the story, not now anyway (sorry!). **

**Anyway, thanks for reading the chapter,**

**Little Miss Illusional**


	10. Life, Love, Meaning Back?

**And now for the twist that nobody saw coming!!!!**

**Just a short intro, I'll save everything for after you've read this. **

**Inspirations are:**

**Beautiful Disaster – Kelly Clarkson**

**Complicated – Avril Lavigne**

**Fall For Anything – The Script**

**19 Turning Point – Vanessa Amorosi**

**When You're Gone – Avril Lavigne**

**Anyway, Enjoy (this is a good one, I promise!!)**

**Disclaimers: I don't own Twilight, but I do own this story =)**

Chapter Ten: Life, Love, Meaning… Back?

I sat up, nearly falling off the log.

Although, when I did sit up, I did fall off the log.

I never hit the ground. He caught me in his cold arms, whispering gently. "It's okay, Bella, I'm here now, Bella, I'm not leaving you, don't cry."

I didn't even realize I was crying. Did you cry in dreams? For this had to be a dream – he was here. This made me cry even more. I though I was over these dreams of him coming back. He'd left me completely, even from my dreams and thoughts, many months ago.

I stared up into his beautiful, stone face. My Adonis.

"Edward?" I said chokingly.

He made a shushing noise. "It's okay, I'm here now, God Bella, I am so sorry."

I smiled. At least this wasn't one of those dreams where he was disappearing on me. Those were the awful, heart-wrenching ones.

"Oh, Edward," I said. "It's you." I wondered how this dream would play out.

He sighed with relief, his intoxicating breath making me feel dizzy. That hadn't happened in a long time, certainly not in any dream.

Because you didn't notice smells in dreams.

This wasn't a dream.

This was real.

Edward was back.

Life, love, meaning… back?

"No!" I sat up abruptly, pulling myself out of his reach. "No!"

He stared at me with pleading eyes. "Bella, I am so sorry. I made a mistake. I could _never_ leave you. You are my life. I love you."

I realized I was hyperventilating. "Edward, please, just stay away from me."

He nodded frantically. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but we can work this out. I promise I'll never leave you again, and we can be happy again. Please, Bella?"

I stared at him in horror. This was worse than any dream.

I needed Jared.

"Jared!" I shouted as Edward approached me. "Jared!"

He made the same shushing noise. "Bella, it's okay, I won't hurt you. Bella-"

But then, he was knocked back into a tree nearly fifty metres back from me. I closed my eyes before he hit the tree, wincing as the tree broke.

When I opened my eyes, a brown wolf stood in front of me, teeth barred. A ferocious growl sounded from within its mouth.

"Jared," I whispered.

The wolf ran behind the nearest tree, and barely a second later, Jared emerged, wearing only his usual cut-off jeans.

"Bella!" He said, nearly in the same hysterical tone I was in. "Bella? Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

I shook my head. "I'm okay."

Jared was barged out the way, and he went flying into the tree he'd unphased behind. It gave way on impact, slamming into the ground.

"Edward, no!" I screamed. I couldn't see either of them – they were moving too fast. There was a growling sound, followed by the awful ripping of clothing being torn apart – Jared must have phased.

"No, don't!" I screamed. "Don't hurt him!" I wasn't even sure who I was screaming to.

Several other blurred shapes flew past me, and there was more growling. The rest of the pack was here.

A hand grabbed my shoulder. I whirled around, fist ready.

"Whoa, easy there." Said my 'attacker' – Seth, the youngest werewolf. "Bella, we have to go!"

"No!" I said, panic-stricken. "You need to call the pack off!"

He shook his head, and grabbed my arm, pulling me back towards my house. "You can't be here, Bella. You don't need to see this!"

Another hand suddenly grabbed me. I think it was Leah. "Oi, Bella," she said loudly, her voice hard to hear over all the yelling and growling from all around. Everyone was moving so fast that I couldn't see anything – there was just blurred shapes.

"It's not safe, Bella," she yelled. "The pack will take care of the leech!"

"No!" I screamed again. "Don't kill him."

Then, the blurred shapes stopped, pausing for me to see them.

Paul and Jacob, unphased now, held Edward by each of his arms while Jared stepped forward, just a few metres in from of me. Sam and Embry were right beside him. I couldn't see his face, only Edward's. My beautiful Edward was motionless, though his face was stricken with fear. Fear for his life.

"No!" I charged forward, putting myself between Jared and Edward.

"Bella!" He said, his eyes wild with fear, for me more than anything. "Get away from the _leech_!"

I shook my head, clinging to him, even though he could have all to easily broken my hold. "Don't kill him, please."

He stared into my eyes. I could almost hear his thoughts. _You don't want me to get rid of the 'person' that pretty much destroyed you emotionally?_

But it was Edward that answered for me. "Yes, I believe she means that."

I'd forgotten about that little ability of his to read the minds of those around him.

Jared shot him a warning glance. "Shut it, leech."

Sam interceded at that. "Jared, get Bella out of here. Paul, Jacob, we'll take care of _this_ one."

I shook my head. "You can't kill him, I won't let you!"

Jared's face questioned my reasons behind what I wanted from him. "You want me to let him go, even after all he did to you?"

I nodded.

Sam shook his head. "I would, but he fought back just then. I can't let him go now."

"Please?" I said quietly.

"Ahem," said Edward, bringing the focus back to him. "I wasn't here to cause trouble, and now that I see what has happened since my family left, I have no intention of taking Bella away from you, Jared."

Jared growled quietly. "Keep out of my head, leech."

He sighed exasperatedly. "And my family isn't coming back," he said, glancing meaningfully at Sam. "So there's no need to be worried. I just want to have a few minutes in private with Bella, and then I'll go."

Jared looked at me, pleadingly. _Just tell him to go,_ he seemed to be saying,_ and we can be happy again. He left you, he didn't want you, but I do. Don't let him persuade you otherwise. That's what he's going to try to do. _

I nodded. "It's okay with me," I said in a small voice.

Sam glanced swiftly at Jared, then nodded glumly to Jacob and Paul. They released their hold on Edward's pale arms.

Jared shot Edward the most angry, terrifying look I had ever seen. "Three minutes," he said, his voice drowned with venom. "And if you're still here after that, I will kill you. You got that, bloodsucker?"

Edward nodded, not hurtling any insults back at him.

The pack disappeared, back to my house, leaving me alone with Edward.

* * *

**Yep, Edward's back!**

**Gasp! Shock Horror!**

**What will Bella do???**

**(dum dum dum!)**

**Anyway, keep the reviews coming in!**

**Thanks to all my constant reviews, I love you guys! Seriously, without people giving me so much advice and praise, this story wouldn't have made it this far. This chapter is for you guys!**

**Keep Reading!**

**Little Miss Illusional**


	11. Equinox

**Haha, sorry for the cliff hanger from the last chapter.**

**I know I said I wouldn't, but I had to. The story needed it =)**

**Anyway, thanks to the flood of story/author alerts and reviews that came in. I feel so loved =)**

**This chapter's inspirations are:**

**Chance to Say Goodbye – Pete Murray**

**Feeling Sorry – Paramore**

**Haunted – Kelly Clarkson**

**If Today Was Your Last Day – Nickelback**

**Since You Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson**

**That's the Way I Loved You – Taylor Swift**

**Unwanted – Avril Lavigne**

**Anyway, Please Enjoy!**

**Disclaimers: I don't own Twilight, but I am the owner of this story =)**

Chapter Eleven: Equinox

"Bella." He said simply.

I stared at him, not moving.

He looked down, horrified with himself. "Bella, I am so sorry. I just… I can't put how sorry I am into words."

I retained my silence.

"I know I've hurt you so badly," he said quietly, barely moving his lips. "And I don't expect you to ever forgive me."

"You got that right," I muttered. This was the first time I'd ever truly felt anger towards Edward.

He nodded. "I couldn't live without you, Bella. I just… couldn't. I love you." The last words he added on burned me.

"Bella?" He asked. I was quiet again.

I stared at him coldly.

"You left me!" I screamed at him. I wondered where this anger had come from – I wasn't ever this angry. "You told me you loved me, and you left! You broke me Edward, you ****ing broke me!"

He shuddered, like I'd caused him pain. Good.

"And now you're back," I continued in the same, hysterical screaming. "And you've messed everything up! Damn it Edward! You told me you weren't coming back, and here you are! I have a _life_ now! I don't want you here, 'cause you've just screwed everything up! ****ing hell Edward, why?"

He nodded mutely.

"Answer me!" I screamed. "Why, Edward?"

His face was suddenly emotionless. "I thought I was doing the right thing," he said in a monotone. "But I was wrong."

I shook my head. "I already know that. I mean, why do you want to talk to me?"

He looked away, downcast.

"LOOK AT ME!" I screamed, louder than before.

His cobalt black eyes locked onto mine, pain in them, before flickering back to emotionless.

"Because I love you." He said. "And I want another chance. I love you, Bella."

Well, that was a shocker.

So he loved me, big deal. He always had, up until over half a year ago. He'd woken up to himself and decided that he didn't want a stupid, insignificant human loving him helplessly, so he'd cut his losses.

And, in doing so, cut me out of his life.

But then, I'd found someone who wasn't ever going to leave, who would love me more than Edward supposedly had.

Have you ever heard of the phrase, 'if you love somebody, set them free'?

Well, you're not supposed to take it seriously.

"And what do you want me to do about it?" I asked, copying his emotionless voice, minus the soft velvet.

"Do you still love me?" He asked quietly, his musical voice suddenly mysterious, beautiful. His scent was somehow closer to me now, clogging my nose. How the hell was he dazzling me?

I cleared my head. Emotionless was the key when he did this to me.

_To love or not to love, that is the question._ Did I? After everything, did I love him?

_No! He broke you, Bella, and that's unforgivable. He left you, he told your that he didn't want you anymore. He lied to you! He went back on all those promises, all the trust and love you had for him. You don't love him, Bella! You can't!_

But, he was here now, saying that he loved me, prepared to repair me.

"I… I love you," I said. His eyes filled with relief, and he started to move forward. I held up a hand to stop him.

"I love you Edward… I did… but not like before. I still love you just as much, but I can't forgive you. Not yet. I can't bring myself to trust you right now."

He nodded frantically. " I know, and I'm sure you can come to trust me again. We can work through this, I promise-"

"No!" I said, interrupting. "That's the thing, Edward. _Promise_. Your promises broke me, because you broke them."

"I'm sorry," he said simply.

"Don't be. I don't want your sympathy."

"But do you want me?"

He'd found the opening to the hole he'd made months before. That question that had been lingering for to long. Yes, I loved him, more than he deserved right now. But, was I ready to jump back into a relationship like nothing had happened?

"And what about Jared?" I asked. "You _can't_ expect me to just leave him Edward. I love him, maybe more than I love you."

He nodded sadly. "He imprinted, didn't he?"

"Yes, but even without that, I wouldn't leave him."

He sighed. "I believe we have an impasse."

Oh, well that was great.

He growled lowly. "And I believe my three minutes are up."

At that, Jared loped back into view, followed by the rest of the pack. They stood on the edge of the clearing, bunched together. Paul and Sam looked furious, and I only hoped it wasn't directed at me.

"Time to go, bloodsucker," growled Sam. "We had a deal, remember?"

Edward nodded. "I'll go… unless Bella has anything she wants to tell me?"

I stared at him in horror. What did he expect me to do, make a choice? He couldn't do that, that was so unfair. I wasn't ready.

"Bella?" He asked. "I'll leave, and this time _forever_," he lay stress on the word, and I knew he meant it. "Do you want to come?"

Jared let out the most menacing, angry sound. "She's not going anywhere with you, bloodsucker."

"Let Bella make her own decisions, pup." He responded in the same, angry voice.

The two locked eyes, black on black.

"Stop it!" I yelled, getting as angry as they were. "Honestly, you two had better stop acting like three year olds!"

Jared broke off Edward's murderous gaze, walked over and placed an arm around my shoulder.

"You okay?" He asked, whispering into my ear.

Due to the uncanny hearing abilities of everyone in the clearing, I bet I wasn't the only one that could hear that.

"Fine." I said, louder. What was the point of whispering anyway?

I sighed. "I don't want you to go, Edward, but I'm not leaving Jared."

All eyes locked on me, confused. It was hard to tell who was the most perplexed – Edward or Jared.

"I can't live without either of you, and both of you can't live without me. But I only really love one of you, but I still want the other around."

I turned to Edward. "I'm so sorry, Edward, but I can't love you like you want me to. I need you, but not as a lover."

He nodded blankly. "I get it, Bella."

He glanced over at the pack. "I'm sorry for causing so much trouble here, and I can say that you'll never get it again, from any of my family."

He paused, staring directly into my eyes. "Goodbye… Bella."

And then, he was gone.

Just like before.

Too close to before.

Life, love, meaning, it wasn't completely over.

He was gone.

He loved me.

I didn't love him.

I had Jared.

But I needed Edward.

He was gone, gone again.

I had Jared, and that would be enough to get me through this new moon.

The balance had come, the equinox, and this time, it would be the right one.

* * *

**Thanks for reading this chapter….**

**Not much to say, other than thanks,**

**Little Miss Illusional**


	12. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

**Well, for some strange reason, I was able to finish this story with minor dramas.**

**Yep, you read right, no more Equinox.**

**It's over.**

**No more.**

**Lol.**

**Anyway, I loved writing this story, and I hope you loved reading it. I got very emotional when reading this, and hopefully you did too. That's the mark of a good story.**

**I'd like to mention a few people that I'd like to thank:**

**- Ellaryne, for the first review**

**- Kathy Hiester, who's probably reviewed every chapter.**

**- Sprazinko, who bets right**

**- RainbowRanger, loved the help/randomness - yes, it's Santa (backing away slowly)…**

**Also, a big thankyou to my awesome Equinox Playlist on my Ipod which gave me so much inspiration to write this. Obviously, Paramore was the main contributer, as well as Taylor Swift, who can always be counted on for a good/heartbreaker song. Luv ya!**

**The song that directly influenced the story was Meet Me On The Equinox, by Death Cab for Cutie. I cannot recommend this song enough to any Twilight (but chances are that everyone will have it soon because it's on the New Moon soundtrack.)**

**I may do a oneshot/twoshot sequel, depending on how this goes. Certianly, I won't start writing it for a while, unless the reviews really start storming in.**

**Anyway, that's all.**

**Thanks for reading, for the last time,**

**Little Miss Illusional**


	13. Jared

**So about me saying that was the last chapter…**

**I lied =)**

**Well, technically, this is the sequel sort of thing I mentioned I would do. **

**Anyway, please keep the reviews coming, I love reading them!**

**Disclaimers: I don't own Twilight, but I do own tickets to go and see NEW MOON!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

Chapter Twelve: Jared

My Bella was unusually quiet.

I did not push the topic as I drove her home – she was a mess enough as it was. Poor girl. The last hour she'd just experienced was too much for her to bear, and with me there, I'd probably just made it worse.

Yeah, I was ecstatic that she'd chosen me over the stupid leech, but I could sense that the decision was tearing her apart.

Edward, her other half, her supposed soulmate, versus me, the werewolf who'd imprinted on her, forcing himself on her.

I'd won.

Yet, he'd contributed to my win. He left her, pushed her into a mental breakdown. Not even Bella could forgive him for that, so it seemed.

And yet, through it all, she sat in the passenger's set of my car, unconsciously tapping her foot to the tune of a song that was playing, lost in thought.

My Bella. What a survivor.

My Bella. She chose me.

So why did I feel some remorse for the vampire she had rejected?

Well, if the bloodsucker could truly feel emotion, he would be feeling worse than anyone could ever comprehend. He'd lost his one true love. No, worse. He'd said goodbye to the one he loved, turned his back and left her with the one that she loved.

That had to hurt.

But Bella hurt more. She wanted him to stay around, be a friend to her, because she was so nice like that. She knew that he needed her, and she needed him, just not like him. She was prepared to face the guy that broke her heart everyday for his sake, not her own.

You had to hand it to her.

So what could I do, bring the leech back to make her feel better? No, Sam would never allow it. We'd finally gotten what we'd wanted – no vampires stinking up our lands, probably for a very long time. But Bella needed him.

"Bells…" I begun, not sure where I was going with this. What was I going to do, put up lost posters for the bloodsucker?

She caught my glance. "Jared?" She sounded like she was just waking up, like she'd been asleep for a very long time.

How on earth could she be so… alive? How could she not be bawling her eyes out, screaming for him to come back, just like last time?

"Sorry," I muttered. "It doesn't matter."

She shook her head. "I know what you were going to say, anyway. It's obvious, and it's biting you up. Spit it out, Jared."

She knew me too well. "I'm just… surprised, that's all."

Bella shrugged. "I've been here before."

"So you know what to expect?"

"Something along those lines." She smiled. "At least I have you now. You know I love you, right?"

No matter how many times she said those three words, I still felt the same, giddy feeling in the stomach. She was my Bella.

"Of course I do."

Never the less, there had been that awful moment in the clearing, with the leech. Of course I thought she would pick him over me – he was the love of her life. But she'd chosen me, and everything was sort of, getting there, okayish.

She smiled mockingly. "You thought I would run off with him, didn't you?"

I sighed. "You know me too well. But, I am curious…"

Bella shrugged. "It's like I said, it's about trust. I trust you, I don't trust him." She fell silent, and I, like the leech probably had done numerous times, started going crazy over what she was thinking about.

Love verus trust.

Need versus want.

Vampire verus werewolf.

Edward versus me.

I'd won.

**Next chapter up… now!!**

**Only one to go, and it will be from Edward's point of view. **

**Personally, I don't like writing from Edward's POV, it's a bit boring for me. Bella POV is my favourite, then Jasper, then Jared. **

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**Little Miss Illusional**


	14. Edward

**Okay, this IS the LAST chapter.**

**Promise =)**

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Chapter Thirteen: Edward

All's quiet when you're deaf to the world.

Usually.

When your heart doesn't even beat, it surely can't be broken.

Sometimes.

I told Bella I didn't want her, and then burst back into her life and expected her to come running back.

Never.

And she was right, absolutely right.

So why was I running.

She needed me. Not wanted, but needed me.

Too bad I wanted _her_.

I barely noticed the ancient stone walls as I flew past them. Certainly, the small crowd of tourists waiting outside the gates didn't notice me. Too bad. I'd have to attract some attention to get what I wanted anyway.

I knew the way too well to take my time. The streets were a blur, as well as the small, drain entrance.

Speeding through the labyrinth of underground drains, I wondered if my family would miss me.

Alice had probably already seen this. I would miss that.

Carlisle would take it the hardest, as would Esme. My 'parents' would miss me, sure, but they had to understand. They knew what would happen if I couldn't live without Bella.

I wouldn't _live_.

A solid mass in front of me made me stop. One of them, no doubt.

"Cullen," he said dramatically. "We've been expecting you."

Fast as he could now, he led me to the biggest chamber, where the trio were assembled.

_Edward? What is he doing here?_

_Wonder if Carlisle knows he's here._

Aro stood, while the other two remained seated.

"Edward," he said briefly. "What are you doing here?"

I walked forward, brushing my fingers to his outstretched palm.

"Oh," he said after a while, eyes closed with concentration. "I see." _Bella said no? Bella doesn't want him?_

His eyes snapped open. "You know I can't do this, Edward." _If you're going to ask what I believe you will, don't bother. The answer's no._

"But I can't bear this," I whispered. "Isn't that enough?"

_True, but such a waste. Should we try to convince him? No, that wouldn't work. Carlisle wouldn't allow his son to be one of us…_

Caius looked over, clearly bored. _And what about Bella? How is she these days? Still… mortal?_

I growled. "It was her decision."

He nodded, smiling menacingly. "But you know the rules, Edward. And now that she's upset about you, maybe she'll need to confide in someone." _And then we'll need to pay her a little visit…_

"No!"

Aro shrugged. "But that's why you're here, isn't it?"

_He's offering us a deal?_

Caius caught Aro's hand, and pressed his palm against it.

"Ah, of course," said Aro, absentmindedly. "But Edward has a solution to that, so it seems."

I nodded. "I have a deal to offer you."

Caius raised his hands, gesturing for me to continue.

"My life for Bella's."

_What?_

_Why?_

Aro shook his head. "I already said, I will not allow it. However, if you were to work for us, then we may have a deal…"

_And that's the only deal we'll make._

I admit, I was tempted. Alive, I would ensure Bella's safety. Dead, not so much. However, would I be able to withstand the awful emotion that cocooned me? But, as Aro said, Carlisle would never allow it.

My cell beeped from within my pocket. I sighed. It was new, and I was sure no one had the number.

I opened the message. A private number.

_Do it._

Alice.

Aro glanced over at the message, and shot me a puzzled look. I raised my palm against his – I could not be bothered explaining this in words.

"Oh," he said, deep in concentration. "So dear Alice has already seen this, so it seems…"

I sighed. "So you know what I'll say?"

Aro nodded. "But let's make it official, anyway."

This was it.

Goodbye, Bella.

Goodbye, family.

"I accept your offer."

**Well, this is it!**

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**Little Miss Illusional**

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